We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Devonte Howard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Devonte below.
Devonte, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
For working behind professional production field for 7 plus years now, I have learned so much throughout my experiences. I started learning what I do as a videographer at Dubiski Career high school and Dallas College in TV media program where they showed us students the basics behind the scene production and video editing. From there, I started to fall in love through the process by the creativity and somehow I knew I wanted to implement it to my own success. Since I have started my business as a professional, I have gained to speed up my process by spending countless hours editing different skills and presets from varieties of projects. I have found it essential because every time a client asked for specific graphic or type of content, I wouldn’t take “No” for a answer from myself, because I look at another skillset I can learn as an artist.
As a content creator, sometimes it’s challenging to come up with something what others haven’t or what hasn’t been done. I feel like what stood in the way to learn most times is my overthinking of creative process and being my own worst critic. They say, ‘There’s no perfection” as a being an artist but sometimes it doesn’t always feel that way. My mind has always constantly going and don’t want my work just “good” but “GREAT”.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born in Fort Worth, TX and was raised in Arlington & Grand Prairie throughout my life. I am very laidback introvert who is a deep thinker with a lot of drive, determined, who never want to settle less with adventurous creative ideas. I have always loved watching movies and watching music videos when I was younger and have always wondered how the whole creative process being. made. When I have studied at Dubiski Career high school in Grand Prairie, TX for TV-Video program back in 2009, that’s when the journey began for me. From graduating with a diploma and studied the media program at North Lake community college with an Associates degree, I knew personally I wanted to start my own video business company but I didn’t know where to begin or my target audience. In 2014, First started doing video service for this Mixed Martial Arts organization called XKO (Xtreme Knockout ) where I have done promotional videos. I was thrilled. I have always been a UFC fan and to shoot for event like that encourages me to create more. Since I have been creating content for XKO for several years, I wanted to know how to create content for brands or businesses. Earlier 2020, I have started to educated myself business marketing. In the beginning, I find it challenging to price my worth along with the creative content to match because I get so caught up with creative process. But, then, it all depends on the client and their expectations. Every time Im out to do a shoot I always ask myself, “What separates me from others?” so I can pleased my clients. When I create videos for my clients, I always wanted to go extra mile and come up exciting shots and edits so I could hear, “That’s It!” or “That’s Amazing!”It encourages me more to shoot for others, not only just their exceptions, but what kind of challenges they wanted me to shoot. I always looking for more even for myself when I shoot something for my own, business, This journey as a creator is always a self learning experience because you never know what new challenges you”ll face but also meeting new people as you will grow. One of my proudest moments as a content creator, is that I am a also upcoming filmmaker with a new Hip-Hop upcoming movie “The Mogul” Directed by (One of my great friend’s) Jason Brewer and Produced by Nicole Cavazos which will premiere later in 2022. I have always wanted to shoot a film at a professional environment and with a great cast and crew and I feel like this is a great start of my filmmaking journey.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an creative is to make an impact of people’s lives of my own art. It’s amazing too share a perceptive from my own lens give audience form my point of view and also share from theirs.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
My recommended books for entrepreneurial:
Be a Network Marketing Leader by Mary Christensen
Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet David
How Successful Grow by John Maxwell
How Successful People Lead by John Maxwell
Selling 101 by John Maxwell
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
Jump by Steve Harvey
My top Filmmaking courses:
Full Time Filmmaker by Parker Walbeck
Master Filmmaker by Eric Deeran
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Howardstudios
- Instagram: Howardstudiosofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonte-howard-76511410a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcQ_npMUYAHJ0izy7_0XjZw
Image Credits
Diana Rojas (IG: diana0fficial92) Veronika Garcia (IG: ve_gmd) Don Louis (IG: officialdonlouis)